One week down

As of today Calleigh has finished 7 radiation treatments.  Twenty-three left to go!  She is over halfway finished with the portion of the radiation that covers her brain as well as her entire spine.  After day 13, they will focus solely on her brain where the tumor was located.  Thank you to those who are praying daily for her.  Our church has started a prayer chain where people have signed up to pray all throughout the day.  She is definitely well protected by prayer.  They expect that we will start to see some side effects in about another week, such as fatigue and nausea.
The first couple of days were hard for Calleigh because of course this is all a little scary.  These days she bounces right into the office, heads to her room, and tells them how she wants her vitals taken.  She's dancing in the hall for the nurses and being sassy with the anesthesiologist.  One of the technicians painted her radiation mask to look like Ariel.  She loves it and is begging to bring it home.  She will get to keep it when she is finished.
We are starting Occupational Therapy this week.  I am praying that we can resolve the few issues she has quickly and make a complete recovery.  We are so blessed that her case of the posterior fossa syndrome is so mild.
Tomorrow we see the oncologist again and she will receive her first push of chemo through her port.  This type has no side effects.  She will have one dose per week until she finishes her radiation.  We will have a month's break and we will start the intense chemo after that.  We anticipate that to be the beginning of October.  She probably will not finish with her chemo until September-October of next year.
Please pray for us as we are trying to find someone to keep Calleigh during the school year.  We want her to have consistency in our home even though this year is probably going to be chaotic.  Lance is trying to start going racing some again and I know it is hard for him to be away from her.  Please pray for him.  I am also preparing to return to work.  It feels like leaving an infant all over again.  We pray that we will be effective in our jobs at work and also as parents.
The fundraiser for Calleigh has just been amazing.  Thank you to all who have purchased shirts, bracelets, and car decals.  We were able to go to church Sunday and it was very emotional for me to see everyone wearing their shirts in support for our family.  We are so grateful.
People have been asking how we are doing, feeling, etc.  We are of course stressed, but we still have a sense of peace about this.  We have had to "let go and let God."  This is nothing we can control or plan.  It's still unbelievable that we are in this situation, but we have to keep moving, getting up, going to work, appointments, and living our lives.  There is no other option.  So we are doing the best we can to be "normal" and carry on.  Calleigh is stronger than us all.

Cancer picked the wrong princess!